GFCI Issue

[tworootless]

Ours has been giving us fits!  Far as I can find, our 2000 Safari Continental has 3.  Basement, Bathroom over basin, a hidden one under a cabinet near kitchen sink.  The basement one triped from the day we purchased our unit 5 months ago. It ONLY trips when the inverter is activated. Once I start the genset and reset that GFCI all is good. I have replaced this GFCI 2x's. A few days ago I located a blown glass fuse on the inverters trickle charger. Thankfully helped by a Safari member) The batteries were getting weak but immediately started to charge once I replaced the glass fuse with a 30 amp blade fuse . I thought I had found the issue  of the tripping GFCI since it worked as it should over the past 2 days.  Until last night when it started tripping once again. Really stumped over this.

Cheers and HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

[wolfe10]

tworootless,

Welcome to the FMCA Forum.

See if your basement GFI powers an outside outlet.  If so, it is common for water or corrosion in the exposed outlet to trip the GFI.

[rayin]

8 hours ago, wolfe10 said:

tworootless,

Welcome to the FMCA Forum.

See if your basement GFI powers an outside outlet.  If so, it is common for water or corrosion in the exposed outlet to trip the GFI.

X2, I had that headache the first year we owned our MH, the GFCI that was tripping is in behind a "garage door" in a corner of the kitchen countertop, behind the sink. The problem turned out to be non-use of that outside receptacle, once I began using it the GFCI never tripped again. I now plug in my power tools there while working in the garage just to keep the  contacts clean.

[manholt]

X3 on Linda's 06 Tiffin DP...GFCI in outside rear bay.  

[hermanmullins]

My 92 Dynasty doesn't have GFCI outlets in the coach. I has a 20 amp GFCI breaker in my AC power panel.It protect all my outlets except the Microwave which has it's own CB. 

It became weak and I replaced it about two years ago. No issues since.

Herman

[jleamont]

2 hours ago, hermanmullins said:

My 92 Dynasty doesn't have GFCI outlets in the coach. I has a 20 amp GFCI breaker in my AC power panel.It protect all my outlets except the Microwave which has it's own CB. 

It became weak and I replaced it about two years ago. No issues since.

Herman

Ditto, I was beginning to feel left out . I also do not have have outlets on the exterior, they are in the bays with a hatch below them to pull wires up from outside. 

[docj]

On 11/20/2019 at 8:41 AM, tworootless said:

 I thought I had found the issue  of the tripping GFCI since it worked as it should over the past 2 days.  Until last night when it started tripping once again. Really stumped over this.

Does the GFCI protect any other "downstream" outlets?  In my similar age Beaver (a Safari cousin) the GFCI's all protect multiple downstream outlets.  In your case a downstream outlet would not have any power so it would be obvious.  Look for outlets in odd places such as next to mattress (for bedside alarm clocks).

If the GFCI doesn't control any other outlets, then I would look carefully at the wiring in the outlet box to see if there's a possible short to ground caused by a nick in the insulation, etc.

As for the GFCI not tripping when the generator is in use, I'm pretty sure that's due to how the generator is grounded.  For whatever reason, the  GFCI isn't seeing the ground fault when the generator is on, but it doesn't mean there still isn't a fault.

[kaypsmith]

Not knowing what type of refrigerator you have, but if you have an RV style fridge may give some clue. When running an RV (absorption type) most commonly they will remain on LP gas while running the generator, but when going to AC power sometimes will cause a GFCI to trip. So, check the fridge while the GFCI is tripped to make sure that its AC wiring is not on that GFCI circuit. Remember if it is an absorption type, the fridge will still work just not on AC if it is set to automatic changeover.

[rayin]

3 hours ago, kaypsmith said:

Not knowing what type of refrigerator you have, but if you have an RV style fridge may give some clue. When running an RV (absorption type) most commonly they will remain on LP gas while running the generator, but when going to AC power sometimes will cause a GFCI to trip. So, check the fridge while the GFCI is tripped to make sure that its AC wiring is not on that GFCI circuit. Remember if it is an absorption type, the fridge will still work just not on AC if it is set to automatic changeover.

My Norcold 1200LRIM automatically switches to 120VAC when I start the genset, then back to LP when I stop the genset.

[ianbullock]

9 hours ago, RayIN said:

My Norcold 1200LRIM automatically switches to 120VAC when I start the genset, then back to LP when I stop the genset.

Mine too!

[kaypsmith]

20 hours ago, RayIN said:

So, check the fridge while the GFCI is tripped to make sure that its AC wiring is not on that GFCI circuit. Remember if it is an absorption type, the fridge will still work just not on AC if it is set to automatic changeover.

Is the fridge on the GFCI circuit that is tripping in this coach? A GFCI circuit is looking for an imbalanced amperage load between hot and common,  it the fridge is the problem it will remain running, although not on AC, if a non technical person is trying to find the cause of a GFCI circuit blowing, he/she might not realize this.

[rayin]

Kaypsmith, That was someone else.